It cleans itself. That's what vaginal discharge is for, after all. Having a clear or white-ish discharge is perfectly healthy, and it flushes out bacteria and old cells to prevent any unwanted pathogens from entering the uterus. So there's no need for you to come at your vagina with scented soaps —only baby shampoo, please—as you don't want to upset its pH balance. And for the love of all things healthy, don't douche. You'll only regret it.

Episiotomy



D and C: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
Consider the word vagina. It's often used to describe your ever-elusive lady parts as a whole, but it's actually a misnomer: Your vagina's technically inside of your body that's why an ob-gyn has to use a speculum to see it ; what many women are referring to when they say "vagina" is actually the vulva—your external genitalia. Familiarizing yourself with Ready for vagina anatomy ? Time to dive in. The texture, thickness, and abundance of pubic hair can range in women, but loss of hair down there could indicate illness, while sudden, excessive growth can indicate a hormonal abnormality.


Why Does My Vagina Hurt? 11 Possible Reasons For Pain Down There, According To Doctors
What exactly IS a vagina? Well, it's the muscular tube that extends from the cervix to the vulva. It's a surprisingly common question for such a simple definition, but that quick sentence might not answer all your questions. Luckily, a good old vagina diagram can sure help out. You might think you've got it all down pat down there, but we use a lot of code words to talk about it, and we use the technical word itself in the wrong way — after all, it's not entirely accurate to call the extended network between your legs just the "vagina.



You know the drill when it comes to Pap smears: Don the paper gown, slide to the edge of the table, etc. But what if, after an abnormal Pap smear, your doctor says they need to do a cervical biopsy? Freak out a bit? I did. Nevertheless, I was diagnosed with HPV a few years ago, when a Pap smear turned up abnormal cervical cell changes—even though I had no noticeable signs or symptoms—and the doctors recommended a cervical biopsy.